UN General Assembly adopts Goldstone report (1st Lead)

Nov 5, 2009, 20:58 GMT

New York - The United Nations General Assembly voted 114-18 Thursday to adopt an Arab-backed resolution endorsing the controversial report on the Israel-Hamas fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Israel and the United States were among those voting against. A total of 44 countries abstained.

The majority voting bloc of Arab and Non-Aligned Movement countries in the 192-nation assembly easily provided the votes for passing the report drawn up by a four-member commission headed by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, which accused both sides of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The vote capped two days of speeches during which most Arab, Islamic and non-aligned countries turned out to denounce Israel, but rarely said a word against Hamas, which governs Gaza and its 1.5 million inhabitants.

Hamas fought Israel from December to January, a conflict which the report said killed 1,400 Palestinians and 10 Israelis.

An Israel delegate denounced the adoption of the resolution as a 'mockery of reality' after Israel seized a vessel packed with weapons sent by Iran to Syria.